Palmerston North conviction rate up on NZ average

Information released by Statistics New Zealand shows that 78.9% of all prosecuted charges in District Courts and the High Court in the Palmerston North court cluster resulted in conviction in 2011.

This was above the national average of 74.5%. While the proportion of charges resulting in diversion in Palmerston North courts was slightly above the national average, the proportion of charges not proved - 15.9% - was below the national average of 20.5%.

The information also shows that prosecuted charges in Palmerston North courts dropped by 5.0% from 2010 to 2011. This was below the national average of 11.1% and one of the smallest decreases in the country.